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Complete Walkthrough

Step-by-step guide to your first content piece - from onboarding to publishing

This guide walks you through the complete Gondla workflow from your very first login to publishing your first article.

Before You Begin

To complete this walkthrough, you'll need:

  • ✅ A Gondla account
  • ✅ At least one API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google AI recommended)
  • ✅ A website or blog to write content for
  • ✅ 15-20 minutes of time

Don't have an API key yet? Start with the API Keys Setup guide first, then come back here.

Step 1: Complete Onboarding

When you first log into Gondla, you'll be guided through a quick onboarding process.

What You'll Do:

  1. Enter your website URL

    • Gondla analyzes your site automatically
    • Extracts product information
    • Identifies your business type

  2. Add competitor websites

    • Enter 2-5 competitor domains
    • These will be used for keyword research
    • Example: If you sell project management software, add competitors like Asana, Monday.com, etc.

  3. Review product positioning

    • Gondla auto-fills product details from your website
    • Review name, description, and value proposition
    • Edit if needed for accuracy

  4. Create your first project

    • Your project is automatically created
    • Contains all the information you provided
    • Ready for content generation

Time: 3-5 minutes

Tip: Be thorough with competitor URLs - they're key to finding great content opportunities!

Step 2: Set Up Your API Keys

Before generating any content, you need at least one API key.

Option A: Google AI (Budget-Friendly)

  • Cost: Very low (~$0.03 per 1,500-word article)
  • Quality: Good
  • Best for: Testing and high-volume content

Option B: Anthropic Claude (High Quality)

  • Cost: Moderate (~$0.12 per 1,500-word article)
  • Quality: Excellent
  • Best for: Quality-focused content

Option C: OpenAI (Balanced)

  • Cost: Moderate (~$0.25 per 1,500-word article)
  • Quality: Very good
  • Best for: Versatile content

Setting Up Your Key:

  1. Navigate to Settings → API Keys
  2. Click Add API Key
  3. Select your provider (e.g., "Anthropic")
  4. Paste your API key
  5. Add a nickname like "My Claude Key"
  6. Toggle Set as Default (so it's pre-selected)
  7. Click Save

✅ You'll see a green checkmark when the key is validated

Time: 2-3 minutes

Need help getting an API key? Check the detailed API Keys Setup guide in the documentation.

Step 3: Explore Keyword Opportunities

Gondla automatically generates keyword opportunities during onboarding based on your competitors.

  1. Click Opportunities in the sidebar
  2. You'll see your first batch of keywords (Batch #1)

What You'll See:

Opportunity Score (0-100)

  • Higher score = better opportunity
  • Based on search volume, difficulty, and relevance
  • Focus on scores above 60 for your first articles

Keyword Categories

  • Top Opportunities: Best keywords overall
  • Quick Wins: Keywords you might already rank for (#11-30)
  • Competitor Gaps: Keywords competitors rank for that you don't
  • High-Intent: Commercial/transactional keywords

Keyword Details

  • Search volume
  • Keyword difficulty
  • Search intent (informational, commercial, etc.)
  • Estimated traffic potential

Pick Your First Keyword:

Look for:

  • ✅ Opportunity score above 70
  • ✅ Moderate difficulty (not too competitive)
  • ✅ Relevant to your business
  • ✅ Something you can write authoritatively about

Example Good First Keywords:

  • "how to [do something in your niche]"
  • "best [tools/products] for [specific use case]"
  • "[your industry] guide for beginners"

Time: 5 minutes

Tip: Don't overthink it! Pick something that looks interesting. You can always generate more keywords later.

Step 4: Generate Your First Article

Now let's turn that keyword into a complete article.

From Opportunities to Article:

Method 1: Direct from Opportunities (Easiest)

  1. In the Opportunities page, find your chosen keyword
  2. Hover over the keyword row
  3. Click Generate Article button
  4. Skip to "Configure Generation" below

Method 2: Manual Entry

  1. Click Create → Blog Post in sidebar
  2. Enter your keyword as the topic
  3. Continue to "Configure Generation" below

Configure Generation:

Basic Settings (Leave as default for your first article):

  • Project: Should be pre-selected
  • Article Type: Try "How-To Guide" or "Comprehensive Guide"
  • Tone: "SEO Optimized" or "Professional"
  • Point of View: "Second Person" (You) for how-to content
  • Word Count: Set to 1,500-2,000 words

Optional Settings (Recommended to enable):

  • ✅ Enable FAQs: Adds Q&A section at the end
  • ✅ Enable Images: Generates 2-4 relevant images
  • ⬜ Deep Research: Skip for your first article (keeps it simple)

Keywords (Optional but recommended):

  • Target Keyword: Your chosen keyword from opportunities
  • Secondary Keywords: Add 2-3 related terms

Generate:

  1. Review your settings
  2. Click Generate button
  3. Wait 30-90 seconds
  4. Article will generate in real-time

What Happens:

  • AI analyzes your keyword and project context
  • Creates a structured outline
  • Writes comprehensive content
  • Generates images (if enabled)
  • Creates FAQ section (if enabled)
  • Optimizes for SEO

Time: 2-3 minutes (including generation)

Step 5: Review Your Generated Article

Once generation completes, you'll see your article preview.

What to Check:

Content Quality

  • ✅ Flows logically from introduction to conclusion
  • ✅ Headings are clear and descriptive
  • ✅ Content matches your keyword topic
  • ✅ Tone matches your brand
  • ⚠️ No obvious factual errors or hallucinations

Structure

  • ✅ Introduction sets up the topic
  • ✅ H2/H3 headings organize content
  • ✅ Conclusion summarizes key points
  • ✅ FAQ section answers common questions (if enabled)

Images (if enabled)

  • ✅ Hero image is relevant
  • ✅ Section images match content context
  • ⚠️ No inappropriate or off-topic images

SEO Elements

  • ✅ Target keyword appears naturally
  • ✅ Meta description is compelling
  • ✅ Headings include keyword variations

Make Edits (Optional):

  1. Click Edit button
  2. Use the in-app editor to:
    • Fix any errors
    • Adjust tone or phrasing
    • Add your own expertise
    • Replace images if needed
  3. Click Save when done

Time: 5-10 minutes for review and light edits

Remember: AI content should always be reviewed before publishing. You're the expert - trust your judgment!

Step 6: Publish or Schedule Your Article

Now you have two options: publish immediately or schedule for later.

Option A: Publish Immediately

Prerequisites:

  • You've set up at least one integration (WordPress, Shopify, Google Docs, or Webflow)
  • Your connection is active and tested

Steps:

  1. Click Publish button
  2. Select your platform (e.g., WordPress)
  3. Configure platform settings:
    • WordPress: Choose categories, tags, status (draft/publish)
    • Shopify: Select blog, add tags
    • Google Docs: Just click publish
    • Webflow: Select site and collection
  4. Click Publish Now
  5. Wait for confirmation (usually 10-30 seconds)

✅ Success! Your content is now live on your site.

Option B: Schedule for Later

When to Schedule:

  • You want to publish at a specific time
  • Building a content calendar
  • Publishing multiple articles over time
  • Peak traffic times on your site

Steps:

  1. Click Schedule button
  2. Select publish date and time
  3. Choose your platform
  4. Configure platform settings
  5. Click Schedule

What Happens:

  • Article queued in Content Scheduler
  • Automatically publishes at scheduled time
  • You'll receive a notification when published

Option C: Save as Draft

Not ready to publish?

  • Article stays in your Content Library
  • Status: "Ready"
  • Publish anytime later
  • Make more edits as needed

Time: 2-3 minutes

Step 7: View in Content Library

All your generated content lives in the Content Library.

Navigate to Content Library:

  1. Click Content in the sidebar
  2. See all your articles organized by:
    • Single Articles: Individual posts
    • Bulk Generations: Multi-article batches

Content Status:

  • Ready: Generated, ready to publish
  • Scheduled: Queued for auto-publishing
  • Published: Live on your platform(s)
  • Archived: Removed from active library

What You Can Do:

From the Content Library, you can:

  • Preview any article
  • Edit content
  • Publish if still draft
  • Schedule for later
  • Archive unwanted content
  • Search by keyword or title

Time: 1 minute

Step 8: Check the Scheduler (If Scheduled)

If you scheduled your article, you can monitor it in the Scheduler.

  1. Click Content → Schedule in sidebar
  2. View your content calendar

What You'll See:

  • Calendar view with all scheduled posts
  • Your article on the scheduled date
  • Status indicators:
    • 🟡 Scheduled (queued)
    • 🔵 Publishing (in progress)
    • 🟢 Published (complete)
    • 🔴 Failed (needs attention)

Managing Scheduled Content:

  • Reschedule: Drag to new date or edit time
  • Cancel: Remove from schedule
  • Publish Now: Skip schedule and publish immediately
  • Replace: Swap with different content

Time: 1 minute

Congratulations! 🎉

You've completed your first Gondla workflow:

✅ Completed onboarding ✅ Set up API keys ✅ Explored keyword opportunities ✅ Generated your first article ✅ Reviewed and edited content ✅ Published or scheduled your article ✅ Learned the Content Library and Scheduler

What's Next?

Generate More Content

From Opportunities:

  • Go back to Opportunities page
  • Select multiple keywords
  • Use "Bulk Generate" for multiple articles at once

From Scratch:

  • Create → Blog Post
  • Enter any topic or keyword
  • Generate on-demand

Generate More Keywords

New Batch:

  1. Go to Opportunities page
  2. Click Generate Keywords button
  3. AI analyzes competitors again
  4. Creates Batch #2 with new keywords
  5. Smart filtering excludes Batch #1 keywords

Repeat monthly for fresh content ideas!

Set Up Additional Integrations

Connect more publishing platforms:

  • WordPress sites
  • Shopify stores
  • Google Docs
  • Webflow sites

Go to Settings → Integrations

Explore Advanced Features

Try Deep Research:

  • Enable for fact-heavy content
  • Perplexity AI finds sources
  • Better accuracy and credibility

Custom Outlines:

  • Create specific article structures
  • Define exact H2/H3/H4 headings
  • Match your preferred format

Bulk Creation:

  • Generate 10-50 articles at once
  • Per-keyword customization
  • Scale your content production

Smart Product Positioning:

  • Enable in project settings
  • Natural product mentions in content
  • Non-intrusive promotion

Common First-Time Questions

How much did that cost me?

Check your AI provider dashboard:

  • OpenAI: platform.openai.com (Usage section)
  • Anthropic: console.anthropic.com (Credits)
  • Google AI: Cloud Console billing

Typical first article: $0.03-$0.30 depending on model and settings

Can I regenerate if I don't like it?

Yes! Just generate again with:

  • Different AI model
  • Different tone or article type
  • Custom instructions
  • Custom outline

Each generation costs separately, so use edits for minor changes.

Do I need to review every article?

Yes! Always review AI content before publishing:

  • Check for factual accuracy
  • Ensure tone matches brand
  • Add your expertise
  • Fix any errors

AI is a tool, not a replacement for human judgment.

How often should I generate new keyword opportunities?

Monthly is a good cadence:

  • Fresh competitor keywords
  • Avoid content gaps
  • Stay current with trends
  • Build content calendar

Can I use this for client content (agencies)?

Absolutely! Create separate projects per client:

  • Client-specific keywords
  • Custom brand voice (via knowledge bases)
  • Different API keys for cost tracking
  • Organized content library

Need Help?

Common Issues:

  • Generation failed → Check API key has credits
  • Can't publish → Verify integration connection
  • Content quality low → Try higher-quality AI model or add custom instructions
  • Wrong tone → Change tone setting and regenerate

Documentation:

  • Content Generation guide for advanced features
  • Bulk Creation for scaling up
  • Best Practices for optimization tips
  • Troubleshooting for common problems

Start Simple, Scale Later

You don't need to master everything at once:

  1. Week 1: Generate 2-3 articles, get comfortable with basics
  2. Week 2: Try bulk generation, explore different article types
  3. Week 3: Set up scheduling, build content calendar
  4. Week 4: Explore advanced features (research, custom outlines)

Welcome to Gondla - let's create great content together! 🚀